Spirits
by Flyingshadow451
Summary: In an unnamed port, Sanji is stocking up on food like usual. On his way back to the Thousand Sunny, he is stopped by a mysterious woman. There is something about her that is making him dizzy. Is it love? Or perhaps something... darker. A certain lost swordsman stumbles on them ... but did he come in time? I will rate this M because this is my first fanfiction and I want to be safe
1. Chapter 1

A/N Ohh... That was close. I posted this without a disclaimer (sweating) … I do NOT own One Piece! This is my first fan fiction, so a few reviews would be nice. If you don't mind spending a little time and jotting down your thoughts… I will be very grateful. ENJOY! XD

Chapter 1

Night was descending upon the port, cascading a blanket of indigo light over the large town. Despite Nature's beckoning, the town refused to rest and began to light up in its packed streets. It was especially restless in the market, where sailors and inhabitants alike traded in both tales and goods. Laughter rang into the evening air, defying the coming darkness heartily.

No one suspected that criminals roamed among them.

A tall, slender man smiled secretively around his cigarette as he shifted his hold on his supplies. The evening lights glinted off his glasses as he turned his head thoughtfully toward the cerulean sea. He should start heading back to the large ship that was skillfully hidden away from the dock. He mused to himself as he took a long drag of smoke into his lungs. His captain would be hungry.

His black shoes turned toward the water and he began to weave his way agilely through the night crowd, careful to guard the precious food inside the brown paper bag. He tucked the bottom of the bag into the crook of his arm to shield it from the mass of moving people. After he got the hang of dodging elbows and shoulders, the cook began to plan out dinner in his head. It was getting late so he would have to whip up something quick. Perhaps an elaborate balance of spiced fish, pickled vegetables, and fried noodles? The man couldn't wait to see the smiles on his crewmates' faces when their hunger was sated. It was his favorite part of being a chef.

As he walked, the blond kept a casual lookout for the marines. Unbeknownst to the crowd, he was a wanted man, a pirate. He was still unused to having a price on his head, and because of his inexperience, he neglected to remember that the marines weren't the only ones he should be watching out for.

She came through the crowd, lithely weaving through the mass of bodies. Her luminous brown eyes remained fixated on the back of the man's blond head as she came closer and closer. Her muscles coiled as she prepared herself. Then she sprang.

Her hand curled itself around the cook's slim wrist like a vise, causing him to jump and turn his head. His one visible eye widened as he processed her delicate beauty in contrast to the fire in those enrapturing eyes and the unexpected strength in that smooth hand.

"H-hello ma'am," he started shakily, wildly trying to regain his composure. His heart felt like it was going to burst with excitement, it was hammering so hard, "How may I help you this evening, my pale angel?"

She said nothing. Those lush lips curled up into an alluring smile. She dug her nails into his wrist and suddenly dropped it, leaving small, perfect crescent moons on his skin. Goosebumps crawled up the cook's arm when she winked at him and began to meld into the crowd, holding his mystified gaze the entire time. When he broke out of his daze, he realized that he was about to lose her. Hurriedly, he began to fight toward her. Just who was she?

"W-wait!" he called, trying to push through the impassable barricade of people in the street. The woman flashed him another seducing grin before disappearing into an alley. The pirate broke out of the mass and peered into the shadows. Without hesitating, he stepped forward. He couldn't leave now; alleys can be dangerous, especially for beautiful young women.

"Where did you go?" he called out in despair. The alleyway was empty. He sighed and ran a hand through his blond hair, "Well, I guess I need to hurry back to Sunny-go…."

"Kuroashi Sanji," a quiet voice breathed behind him, making his heart stutter.

The cook whipped around. There she was.

He was taken by surprise when she leapt forward, seized his tie, and slammed him roughly against the wall. She buried her face into his neck and sucked at his collarbone, making his knees go weak with shock and thrill. He had to struggle not to drop the heavy paper bag and the precious food inside. The woman kissed him along the length of his lean neck up to his earlobe. Sanji had to suppress a shiver when her hot tongue flicked out and teased it. The pirate struggled to keep his breath steady.

He adored women over everything in the world, but not once in his life did a woman approach him like this. The most any lady gave him was an affectionate hug and a peck on the cheek. Nothing intense or meaningful. In fear of losing this opportunity, Sanji didn't resist. Not that he didn't enjoy it. It was all that he could do to refrain from reaching up and stroking that silky hair. He was afraid of scaring her off.

The girl's lips brushed along his jawbone and hesitated when she finally reached his mouth.

She reached up with those long, pale fingers and removed his cigarette stub. Oh god, those eyes…

His breath hitched when she suddenly parted his lips with her own and slid her tongue in.

"Mmm…!" he moaned a little as he kissed him. His head suddenly began to spin. He broke contact and turned his face away, a scarlet hue beginning to spread across his face. His chest shook with each shallow breath he took.

"Is this your first kiss?" she whispered into his burning ear, causing him to flinch a little. His senses were screaming out at him. Her fingers curled into his mussed hair. She craned her neck and smooched gently at the corner of his mouth. Why was he being so shy? God dammit, he was finally kissing a girl! Why was he wussing out?! So what if he is a little light-headed, it felt great!

He kissed her back.

Oh god, the pleasure! His free hand fluttered nervously up and down her waist. Then his head reeled violently and his vision blackened. The strength in his legs was beginning to give. This may have been his first time making out, so he was unsure of how it was supposed to feel… but this felt wrong.

He broke contact again, "Wait…." He panted, trying to overcome the nauseating dizziness, "I feel strange…"

Unconcerned, she cradled his lolling head between her cool hands and gave him a last gentle smooch.

"Silly. This is the feeling of love, Blackleg," she whispered into his slackening mouth. Sanji's legs collapsed beneath him and he slumped against the wall. The bag dropped and thudded onto its side the ground, spilling its contents. Carefully wrapped cuts of meat tumbled out along with the escaping citrus fruits. One lemon wobbled out of the alley and bumped into the boot of a lost man. The sailor glanced down in surprise and peered into the darkness.

"Hello?" he called out. When he received no response, he reached over and clasped a hand around the hilt of one of his three swords. _Chack._ He stepped forward, his presence filling the narrow passage with his ominous aura, "Who's there?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Hello! Thank you so much for reading my story! I am especially grateful to those who reviewed… you made me laugh out loud, SpiritedObsession! Lol, if the story begins to twist in a way that make you uncomfortable, please leave a note and I will alter it to suit everyone's tastes… I was thinking of an eventual Zosan….?

Chapter 2

_He stepped forward, his presence filling the narrow passage with his ominous aura, "Who's there?"_

She raised her doe-like eyes from the unconscious man and smiled unflinching at the large silhouette.

"Roronoa Zoro," she breathed out. Zoro was stoic towards her dreamy, charming smile. The pirate's dark, obsidian eyes flicked toward his fallen nakama and back to the pale girl. What the hell did she do to him?

"Tch. You are completely useless as usual, dartboard-brow," he commented. He slowly drew his sword, Shusui. The black blade seemed to suck in all of the remaining light in the twilight sky, like a black hole. Hmm…. The color matches his eyes, the woman mused to herself with a quiet smile.

Zoro held the blade casually, his wrist loose and relaxed, "Look here. Unlike this idiot, I'm not scared to hurt a woman. Now, you better go home like a good little girl."

Undaunted, the girl took a step closer. She was itching to test something out. Her heart began to pump power into her wiry limbs. She felt so strong, the sensation was delicious. She licked her lips in anticipation has her gaze raked up and down Zoro's strong, toned frame.

Zoro was weirded out by her fearlessness. He decided that the best way to respond was to scare her off, since intimidation wasn't working. Damn it, he was hungry. In one quick motion, he raised the heavy blade and slashed downward.

It was a controlled swing; one that he knew would miss by a hairbreadth. That oughta scare her—

Suddenly, a jolt ran down length of Shusui and through his arm as the heavy blade was halted by the girl's shoe. The swordsman raised an eyebrow. Shusui was embedded about halfway in the sole. That move was way too familiar for Zoro's comfort. He pulled the blade back and thrusted it toward her. He just wanted her to go away.

A powerful impact hit the side of the blade, diverting the thrust into the stone wall beside the woman, sending a cloud of dust and fragmented stone into the air. She lowered her leg, a smirk beginning to form on her lush lips.

"Tch," Zoro was beginning to feel annoyed and creeped out by her confidence. And those moves… Those stupid eyes seemed to be staring straight into the deepest parts of his heart. It was beginning to unnerve him. Stupid girl. Stupid cook.

"Go home!" he shouted forcefully, slashing at her from the side. In a blink, she handsprung backwards and took off down the alley at an incredible speed. Just before she reached the end, however, she looked over her shoulder and winked at the swordsman before disappearing into the river of bodies.

Zoro straightened and sheathed Shusui. _Chack._ That was a strange encounter. He ran a calloused hand through his pale green hair and sighed in exasperation. Better make sure the idiot was still alive. He crouched in front of Sanji and shook his shoulder.

"Oi, curly-brow," Sanji's head lolled forward till his stubbled chin rested against his chest. Zoro patted his cheeks, non-too gently, until they glowed red and radiated heat. He even punched him in the arm. Sanji's eyes wouldn't open.

Zoro sat back on his heels, "Gah, stupid ero-cook," he snorted in frustration. His eyes fell on the scattered food. Mind as well gather what he could. He scooped up the cuts of meat that remained unsoiled, brushed off the bags of rice and flour, and scrambled after the citrus fruit.

The lemon in the street was mashed into a pulp by someone's careless heel.

The swordsman packed the food back into the paper bag, which cracked loudly in the alleyway. He nodded to himself at his handiwork, and then turned his gaze back to the unconscious man. Hmm…. How to go about this?

His first thought was to grab him by the ankle and drag him along but he was most likely going to be stopped by someone. Plus, there were too many people in the streets. The idiot would get trampled. So…instead, Zoro draped Sanji over his shoulder and secured him by clamping down on the back of his knees with his arm. With the other, he struggled to pull the grocery back onto his knee and then tuck it into the crook of his elbow.

All set to go, the swordsman slowly stood and stepped out of the alley. A few curious gazes lighted on the odd sight but when they saw the cook's flushed face, they merely assumed that the green-haired man was taking his drunken friend home. Zoro grimaced at the unwanted attention and began to walk, unknowingly heading in the opposite direction of the _Thousand Sunny_.

A/N Sorry for the short chapter, but I have to finish writing my essay on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Have you guys heard of them? I find outlaws fascinating, as you can probably guess from my choice of fanfiction. I will write some more tonight, hopefully…. XD Domo arigato gozaimasu!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Ah… Gomenasai, SpiritedObsession. I will try to lighten up on the cliffhangers, but what is a good chapter without a little, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENS NEXT?! XD Thanks to those who are reading this chapter! I Do Not Own _One Piece_…

Chapter 3

Zoro panted slightly as he made his way up a grassy slope. Dammit all. Somehow, the _Thousand Sunny_ mysteriously moved again! His boots kept on slipping on the dew and the crickets were beginning to tick him off. Their high, whiny notes reminded him of a certain orange-haired witch. At least the cook was incapable of bitching at the present moment.

The swordsman's stomach growled obnoxiously and he grimaced, glad that Sanji couldn't hear it. He needed to sit down for just a moment. Carefully, he placed the paper bag on the ground and then laid the blond on his back. Then Zoro sat on his rear with a heavy, ungraceful thud and dug in the bag for something to eat. Settling on a grapefruit, the swordsman then began to study his surroundings.

They were currently on a hill and the town was nowhere in sight. He was positive that he was going in the right direction, and he couldn't recognize anything... but that mossy log over there looks suspiciously familiar. He viciously attacked the fruit's pinkish rind with his blunt fingernails in his frustration.

He could almost hear the cook scolding him for abusing food. Unconsciously, he eased up on the poor grapefruit and gently peeled it with the pads of his calloused thumbs. Zoro glanced at the cook; he could try waking him up again. He hated to admit it, but they usually reached their destination quicker when Sanji was leading.

Quietly, Zoro crawled over to where the blond lay and loomed over him. He firmly grabbed his skinny shoulders and shook him roughly.

"Oi! Cook!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He paused and waited for a response.

Nothing.

Zoro's eyes widened in alarm when he felt tremors in Sanji's body. Zoro pulled him into a sitting position and checked him over. Was he injured? Why didn't he check for that first?! Shit, shit, shit, SHIT—

His breath caught and he almost barked out in laughter. The back of the man's light blue shirt was _soaked._ The dew made the fabric cling to Sanji's back. The swordsman chuckled to himself; the bastard was _cold_!

"Heh, that's what you get for wearing too many clothes all the time-" he stopped himself. Man, that must have sounded really wrong. The wind picked up, stirring the cook's silky hair and making Zoro's earrings tinkle mutely. Another shiver jolted through Sanji's body, and goosebumps began to rise on his forearms. Despite the cold, however, his face remained smooth and his eyes remained closed.

Zoro's face suddenly began to feel hot for some strange reason; when he rested the back of his hand against his forehead and cheeks, they were burning slightly. His heartbeat began to quicken and slow sporadically. Was he sick? Probably. He shook his head in annoyance, making his golden earrings jangle. Great, Sanji was unconscious for some reason and he was sick. Chopper will be ticked when they return. Heh, he was most likely already ticked, because they were late.

Zoro glanced down at his shaking _nakama_. Dammit. He leaned forward and rolled down the cook's sleeves in an attempt to keep him warm. He paused for a moment, his hand resting on top of the blonde's wrist and watched his face. He looked so … frail. At the moment, he was vulnerable to everything, including this freaking wind. Zoro felt another tremor pass through Sanji. Suddenly noticing where his hand was, the swordsman quickly withdrew it and set it on his lap. His stomach growled, competing against the crickets in its volume. He patted it to console it, and then glanced down. Ah, this should help.

Zoro pulled his three _katana_ out of his _haramaki _and gently set them on the wet grass. Then he tugged the green belly-warmer over his head and placed it in his lap. He propped Sanji into a sitting position again and slipped the _haramaki_ over his head. When his hand brushed against the cook's hair, the swordsman's heart began to pound in his chest erratically.

What the fuck is wrong with his heart? Zoro hastily tugged the _haramaki _down to Sanji's slender waist and quickly backed off, his cheeks beginning to burn again. I must have some sort of fever…

He settled a few feet away with his back to the cook. The breeze bit into his skin as he picked up the grapefruit and began to eat. Shit, the wind _was _kind of chilly.

Chewing thoughtfully on the tangy, pink flesh, Zoro stared up at the stars. Was Kuina up there? Zoro never believed in God, but he didn't want to believe that once someone was dead that they were just…gone. He wanted to think that somewhere, that pretty, spirited girl was smiling down at him. Instinctively, his hand reached out and wrapped itself around the white sword, _Wado Ichimonji_. He glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious man. However… just in case there wasn't an afterlife, Zoro will protect those he cared about with his life. And yes, unfortunately, that also included the shitty cook.


End file.
